Before joining VIU, Dr. Daniel Westlake held assistant professor positions in Simon Fraser University's School of Public Policy and the University of Saskatchewan’s department of political studies. Daniel's research focuses on diversity in democratic representation and leadership, multiculturalism and immigration policy, and Canadian party competition.
His work has been published in outlets such as the Canadian Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and Party Politics. His 2020 article: “Following the Right: Left and Right Parties’ Influence Over Multiculturalism” won the 2021 John McMenemy Prize for best article in the 2020 Canadian Journal of Political Science. His 2025 article co-authored with Larry Savage and Jonah Butovsky, “The Labour Vote Revisited: Impact of Union Type and Demographics on Electoral Behaviour in Canadian Federal Politics” was short-listed for the same prize in 2026.
Westlake has a PhD in political science (specializing in Canadian politics) from the University of British Columbia.